Triangle Speech Services is a small company of licensed speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who specialize in foreign accent and regional dialect modification and related communication skills. The word "soft" conjures images relating to "emotion," "sensitivity" and even "weakness." Popular images of the corporate world convey hard edges, strength, efficiency, power! Yet a Google search using "Soft Skills in Business" revealed that training in this area IS a very big business with some impressive programs and web sites especially in the U.K. and in India!
So what are "soft skills" and how do we write personalized training proposals that state a compelling case for foreign accent (and regional dialect) modification as a good business investment?
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Defining "Soft Skills" 
In the U.K. the Impact Factory states on their web site that "People's ability to handle the soft skills side of business (influencing, communications, team management, delegating, appraising, presenting and motivating) is now recognized as key to making businesses more profitable and better places to work." In his article titled, "The Soft Skills of Business English" Dr. Goeran Nieragden, Cologne writes, "As regards the future of work, soft skills are fast becoming the deal breaker in many of today's hiring decisions." And we would also add, in many of today's promotion decisions!
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 | How we justify foreign accent modification in our personalized training proposals. |
 Here are quotations from training proposals that resulted in corporate sponsorship (funding) of individual training, edited to preserve confidentiality. We do not specifically say "soft skills" but we state that ----- company will benefit from this training in the following ways:
- As a project manager, his responsibilities include critical communication 20% in person and 80% on the phone with clients to determine their needs in ----software applications. He would be easier to understand and would speak with greater confidence and credibility.
- Her in-person delivery at full-day technical workshops conducted globally would be more compelling and effective with improved public speaking skills and fewer interruptions to clarify words. Listeners could focus more readily on the content.
- Learning outcomes of his students would be enhanced if his lectures and discussions were easier for them to understand and their class participation would increase
- His staff training seminars at ---in his specialty area would similarly be enhanced.
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Our clients evaluate their training
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 F.G., a software engineer from China has given us permission to quote remarks written on the Student Feedback and Evaluation form at the conclusion of an accent modification tutorial.
"I'm amazed by the organization of the class. It was very helpful to me. [I had] a lot of pronunciation problems I didn't realize. Now I can start to correct myself and pay attention when listening.
"This course was an eye opener for me and I can take what I have learned [and apply it] to daily conversations and in life. Appreciate it! "
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